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Wilmington Fire Chief Anthony Goode came under criticism Friday after he posted statements on his blog that appear to threaten reduced fire coverage in areas represented by council members who supported eliminating funding for eight vacant firefighter jobs.

Goode wrote in his blog, posted on www.wilmfirechief.com, that residents should speak out against the cuts and contact council members who support them.

"If you believe in what they are doing, then I will have no choice but to believe that those council persons who believe the City of Wilmington should cut firefighter jobs and close fire engines actually do represent you and your council districts wishes and intentions," Goode wrote in his blog. "In doing so, all of those council districts will be the districts that we will be forced to consider reducing coverage in!"

Council President Theo Gregory called Goode's comment on the blog "asinine." Coucilwoman Loretta Walsh said Goode appeared to be threatening residents.

"I found it inappropriate," Walsh said. "It looked like he was trying to put fear and intimidation in the public arena, not the political arena. I think he was trying to intimidate residents into being fearful when the statistics don't back that up."

Goode in his blog listed the four fire engines that would be subject to temporary closures when the department hits its overtime limits. He also listed the areas in each engine's immediate coverage area.

Councilwoman Maria Cabrera said Goode's listing of the four engines appeared like the areas he intended to reduce coverage in.

"My first initial reaction is that it was a threat, and I read it again," Cabrera said. "Now I see there's still an implication that there will be reduced services in those districts. Maybe it wasn't meant as a threat, but every time you read it, it was regarded as a threat."

The council approved on Thursday eliminating $511,000 budgeted for eight vacant fire positions. The proposal was debated earlier in the week, and Goode wrote his comments in a July 5 blog asking residents to urge council members to support firefighters and spelling out the reduction's expected consequences.

Goode on Friday said he wasn't targeting any districts in his blog. He said he was trying to warn residents that the cuts will have an adverse effect on fire services throughout Wilmington. Goode said he was trying to help council members realize the impact of their actions.

But he said he wasn't issuing ultimatums or targeting any particular areas.

"Anywhere we're going to reduce public safety for anybody in the city, we're completely against that," Goode said. "If we have to close that one (engine) down, that council district will be affected. All of council must understand that. Their district could be affected."

Goode said he thinks council members are criticizing his blog in an attempt to build a case against a possible veto of the cuts. He said the mayor is considering a veto.

Mayor Dennis P. Williams could not be reached Friday.

In the days leading up to Thursday's vote, Goode stressed that killing the vacant positions would force the fire department to increase overtime spending. Current department policy requires idling of one fire engine for 24 hours if more than three firefighters receive overtime. Goode has warned that idling engines creates coverage gaps and increases response times.

Walsh said she doubts firefighter arguments that cutting the positions would create major coverage disparities because the vacant positions have existed for a while.

"They've been doing rolling bypass for years," Walsh said, referring to the term firefighters used in the past to explain the engine closures. "They've had testimony in front of the Public Safety Committee."

Cabrera said she went into "total shock and disbelief" when she heard the excerpt from the blog. She said she always had a good relationship with Goode.

"I'm still deeply disturbed by that comment," Cabrera said.

Some, however, disagreed, saying they didn't view Goode's comment as a threat.

"He would never do that," said Michael Horgan, vice president of the local fire union. "I guarantee he wasn't trying to make a threat that there was going to be any kind of reduced service. That's not how we operate. We've had cuts before, and we always do our jobs. It don't matter."